Title: There Was A Fire

Author: SneetchesToo

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Ethan/Rox

Summary: Ethan gets a surprise visitor in the middle of the night.

Author's Note: Okay, okay, enough with torturing these two lovebirds.

—

Rox had been beyond skeptical about going to Ethan's the night of the fire.

In fact, she had sat in her car for almost an hour before she gathered up the courage.

She didn't know if he would let her in.

Not after everything that had happened between them.

And while they had talked about making amends when Ethan was still in the hospital, they had yet to follow through with anything.

They actually hadn't talked at all in the five days that he had been home and she was so frustrated with herself for letting it get this far.

She had needed a reason to push herself into seeing him.

Tonight's events had been the perfect opening.

She had pulled into the driveway of Ethan's house at a little after 1:00am and she was pleased to see that his father wasn't there.

She had been worried that the older man would have been around which would have made things extremely awkward.

Letting out a breath she slowly exited the vehicle before making her way up the drive and toward the house.

All the lights were off and she hoped that ringing the doorbell at this late hour wouldn't upset Ethan, or Ariel if the teen happened to be around.

She hesitated before pressing the button and after hearing the ring echo throughout the quiet house she stood and waited.

She waited for any sign of movement. For any sign that Ethan was going to come and let her in.

It was silent for a minute before she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

She heard Ethan let out a slew of curse words as something fell to the ground and then the next thing she knew the front door was being yanked opened.

"Rox?" Ethan's voice was sleepy and his eyes were heavy and Rox suddenly felt bad for waking him.

"Hey." She offered him a soft smile and he returned it as he stepped back and gestured for her to come inside.

"What are you doing here?" He asked softly.

He was dressed in nothing but flannel pajama bottoms and she could make out the faint bruises still covering his chest.

He looked so soft and cozy and she wanted nothing more than to curl up next to him and never leave.

"There was a fire." She whispered.

She watched as he reached out with his good arm to rest his hand on her cheek.

He was immediately assessing her for injuries and she felt her heart swell at his protectiveness.

"Where?" She could see the concern in his eyes and it made her heart flutter.

She was almost certain that he had forgotten about her.

"My neighbor's got high and set their kitchen on fire." At least that was what the cops thought had happened. "It came through the wall and into my place."

"Oh my God." He stepped forward as the words left his mouth and he let his hand go to her hair, pushing it aside as he dropped his forehead to hers. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She whispered.

She didn't want to cause a big scene and she didn't want to make this into something it wasn't.

"Rox..." She felt the fingers of his other hand settle on her hip and she swallowed.

They hadn't been this close in three weeks and it was killing her.

"I'm fine Ethan." In reality she was totally freaked out by the whole thing, but she didn't want him to panic even more than he already was. "I just need a place to stay for a few days, until I can get back in."

"Well you know you're obviously welcome here love." He whispered.

She was surprised to hear him say that.

She didn't know he still wanted her around.

"You're sure it's okay?" She asked softly.

"I promise you." He pulled back just enough to let his lips press against her forehead. "I want you here baby."

He hadn't called her that in what felt like forever.

"We haven't exactly been," She swallowed as she closed her eyes, "okay, lately."

"I want you here Rox." He didn't seem phased by her words though and she sighed softly as he pulled back to eye her softly. "You can stay as long as you want."

"Thank you." She whispered.

"You're welcome." He let his hands fall back to his sides as he moved to shut the front door. "You wanna shower?"

"No. I'm okay." She shook her head as he stopped in front of her and she offered him a soft look. "I just wanna go back to bed."

In reality she just wanted to curl up in his arms and sleep the weekend away, but she didn't know if he would send her away at that thought.

"Okay. Come on." He gestured toward the stairs and she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "I'll rub your back if you want. I know that helps you sleep sometimes."

She shook her head back and forth.

Not only was she shocked that he was offering to comfort her some but she was shocked that he was even suggesting that she sleep upstairs with him.

Surely he would make her sleep in the guest room, far away from him.

"It's fine Ethan." She didn't want to cause issues.

She just needed somewhere to lay her head.

Emo was out of town and she didn't want to be alone.

"Rox..." He reached out and brushed back a stray piece of hair, his eyes soft as he said her name once more. "Rox..."

"I just wanna sleep." She said softly. "Please."

"Okay. Come on." He pulled back and motioned toward the stairs with a soft smile.

She waited a second before making her way toward his bedroom.

She could feel her hands shaking and her heart racing as her body reacted to the prospect of being alone with him once again.

When Rox awoke a few hours later her whole body felt like it was in shock.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, her hands were shaking, her eyes felt heavy and raw.

She didn't understand what was going on, all she knew was that everything felt off.

"Rox, baby." Ethan's hand fell to her hip and she jumped, pushing herself away from him in the bed.

They had fallen asleep on opposite sides of the king mattress last night and she had been thankful that he had kept his distance up until now.

"No." She whispered.

She didn't know who she was telling 'no' to, or why she was saying it, but the word left her mouth before she could stop herself.

"Shhh honey, it's okay." He reached for her once again and this time she let him pull her close. "I got you."

"Ethan?" She tried to open her eyes but she couldn't make them work.

And her whole body stayed almost rigid in his arms.

"It's me babe." He pressed a gentle kiss to her head in an attempt to calm her down but it didn't work. "You're okay. You're safe."

"I..." She had had these attacks a lot lately, especially since their fight a few weeks ago.

Normally they ended with her crying herself back to sleep while watching infomercials.

"I know love." He reached out and ran his fingers along her cheek softly. "Shhh, it's okay. Go back to sleep."

"I..." She was finally able to get her hands to work and she reached out for him, grabbing a hold of his arm like he was going to disappear.

She felt her breath start to quicken as her heart started pounding even faster.

She felt like her whole world was caving in, like the air was being sucked out of the room.

"Rox, calm down love." Ethan pressed his forehead against hers as he spoke quietly. "You're having a panic attack. Deep breaths baby. It's okay."

"Ethan..." She was pleading with him now.

Pleading with him to make it stop, to make the pain go away.

"Shhh." He nuzzled his face against her cheek as he pulled her as close to him as he could. "You're okay."

"I... I can't." She felt so broken and alone. These past three weeks had been absolute hell and she couldn't believe they had done this to each other. "I've... I've been so lost."

"I know baby." He pressed a kiss against her cheek as he let his hand wander under the material of her t-shirt.

He hadn't had his hands on her skin in what felt like forever.

It was driving her mad having him this close.

"I didn't mean too." She whispered. "I never wanted this to happen."

She never wanted their fight to end like this.

She never wanted to spend three weeks without him.

"I know love." He whispered as his fingers danced over the skin of her stomach. "It's okay. We're okay."

"I can't lose you." She was so scared that he was going to walk out on her.

That he was going to leave her and never come back.

"And you're not." She needed all the reassurance she could get at this point. "I'm right here. I'm never going anywhere."

"I love you." She sobbed out. "I love you so much."

"I know." He stopped the movement of his fingers just above the waistband of her pants and she let out a sigh. "I love you too."

She was sure that he was going to go further.

That his hand would wander below her underwear, to the place she needed him the most.

But he didn't try anything more.

Instead he pressed a few soft kisses to her shoulder before dozing off, his arm still draped over her waist, his face still nuzzled against her neck.

And soon enough she was fading off too.

—

When she awoke the next time the sun was shining through the open bedroom window.

She could hear the distant sound of birds chirping, the wind blowing gently through the trees surrounding Ethan's house.

She instantly felt a sense of peace come over her.

She was finally right where she belonged.

"Ethan…" She whispered his name as she reached for him.

"Yeah Rox?" His voice was still sleepy and his eyes were still heavy, but he looked adorable nonetheless.

"Are you okay?" She hadn't bothered to stop and ask him how he was doing.

He was the one that was attacked a few days ago, not her.

"I'm fine honey." He said softly. "Go back to sleep."

He dropped a kiss against her arm as he snuggled close, his eyes remaining closed as he tried to fall back asleep.

"Ethan…" She didn't want to sleep though.

She wanted to talk.

She wanted to get some stuff out and in the open.

She hated that things seemed to tense.

"Yes Rox?" He mumbled against the smooth skin of her shoulder.

He had nudged the material of her shirt out of the way as he pressed kisses against the bare skin.

"I'm sorry." She was so incredibly sorry for everything that had happened between them.

She felt horrible for letting it get that far.

"I know baby." He nipped at her collar bone as he moved to hover above her.

She noticed that his eyes were still closed though.

"Ethan…" She reached down and cupped his face between her palms, pulling his head up to hers.

"Roxane…" He dragged her name out as he opened his eyes slowly.

They were dark and full of love and lust and everything that she loved so much about him.

"I missed you." She whispered as she let her fingers tangle in his hair.

"I know you did baby." He whispered back, his fingers pushing the material of her t-shirt up slowly, grazing along her stomach as he lowered his forehead to rest against hers. "I missed you too."

"Can we please never fight like that again?" She never wanted to go through something so horrible ever again.

"That is perfectly fine with me." She watched as he pulled back from her slightly and that's when she noticed that he was trying to remove her shirt.

Lifting herself up she gave him a small smile as he pulled the item over her head and tossed it aside.

"Ethan…" She really needed to shut up and just let him do his thing, but she couldn't help herself.

"Rox," He had dropped his head back to her neck and was currently kissing every inch of exposed skin, "I swear to God."

"I love you." She let out a gentle moan as he lowered his head down her chest.

"I love you too." He whispered against the inside of her left breast.

"More today than you did yesterday?" His hands had moved to push her sweat pants down and she let out a sigh when his fingers grazed over her center.

"And more tomorrow than I do right now." He pressed his lips against the inside of her thigh and she shivered. "Now please, stop talking and let me finish what I started here."

She let out a chuckle as she watched him remove her panties slowly before lowering himself on top of her once more.

"Yes, sir." She whispered, her hands going to his waist as she shoved his pants down.

He let out a small laugh as his face moved to bury itself against her right breast, his fingers finding their way to her core slowly.

They didn't talk anymore after that, save for the moaning and screaming of each other's names. And when Rox awoke the next time Ethan was snuggled against her side with a soft, sleepy smile on his face.

"I'm glad you're back." He whispered as he nuzzled his face against her neck. "I missed you."

"There's no place I'd rather be." She whispered back as she let her arms tighten around his bare shoulders.

And she meant it, now, more than ever.

This was where she belonged and she knew it.

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